Combination lock



COMBINATION LOCK G. B. POINDEXTER Original Filed April 6 )willi/157,

July- 26, 1927.

' lNvENToR Geoye Pw/ndexier ATTORNEY Patented July 26, 1927.

STATES Arent oFFicE.

GEORGE B. POINDEXTER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0GEORGE E. MILLER, OF BREMERTON, WASHINGTON.

COMBINATION LOCK.

Application filed April 6, 1925, Serial No. 20,993. v Renewed April 20,1927.

This invention relates to improvements in combination locks, and moreparticularly to locks of that character adapted for use in automobilesas an ignition circuit switch lock; the principal object of theinvention being to provide lock that is compact, strong and durable andoperable only by one who is familiar with the combination.

Another object is to provide a lock that is an improvement upon the lockdisclosed by U. S. Patent No. 1,339,668 issued to me on hilay 11, 1920,in that it comprises fewer and easier assembled parts and a strongerassembly. A

In accomplishing the various objects of the invention, I have providedthe improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a lock embodied by the present invention, showing itmounted in a panel which may be the instrument board of an automobile.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same showing thel combination dial.

Figure 3 is a central, 'longitudinal section of the lock with the stemand combination parts in locked position and the switch open.

Figure 4 is a similar view, showing the parts unlocked and the switchclosed.

Figure 5 is a. perspective view of the interior parts of the lock indisassembled relation.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- 1 designates a one piece lockcasing, which is of cylindrical form, and provided near its forward endwith an encircling flange 2 for receiving rivets 3, or the like, for thepurpose of attaching` the casing to a panel, wall or instrument board,as designated at 4. Fitted about the rearward portion of the casing is ahousing 5 having an outturned flange 6 at its forward end adapted toseat within a recess 'T in the rear surface of flange 2 so as to be heldtherein securely by the rivets 3 and panel 4. This housing extendssubstantiallyy beyond the rear end of casing 1 and provides ample spacefor the switch contacts, presently described, and is closed by an endwall S having an aperture 9 through which the circuit wires 10 and 11may enter the lock.

The lock casing is bored axially to provide forward and rearwardcompartments of different diameters; the rearward being the is rotatablyfitted.

greater and joins the. otherin an annular rearwardly facing shoulder1,2.

l rit. the forward end of the lock casing is a circular' opening 13 inwhich a dial plate 14 seats upon an annular, inwardly facing shoulder 17formed just within the opening 13. Y

Rotatably fitted within the casing just back of the disk 16 and held inspaced relation therefrom by a split ring 18 fitted within the casing,is a freely rotatable disk 19. This disk has a pin 20 projecting throughit, as is shown best in Figure 3, which is adapted to be engaged by astud 21, fixed in the inner vface of the disk 16, when the latter diskis of pin 20 so that rotationof the disk 23l may be effected by rotationof the dial plate 14, disk 16 and disk. 19. The rear surface` of disk 23lies flush with the shoulder 12 and a disk 25 rests on thisshoulder'against the disk 23 to retain all the parts forwardly thereofin functional rela-tion. The disk 25 is retained against rotation bymeans of a lug 26 projecting' from the shoulder 12 and which is adaptedto seat within anotch 27, (see Figure 5) in the periphery of the diskand it is held against the shoulder by a sleeve 23 that is fitted on thecasing and which is held in place by an overlying plate 29 held by aspring 29 seated in an annular groove ip the casing wall.

The disks 19, 23 and 25 are provided, respectively, with apertures 30-31and 32 (see .Figure 5) which are adapted, by rotative movement of thedisks, to be brought into alinement and they are provided also centrallywith openings 33 through which the lock stem 35 may .extend for freerotative and longitudinal shifting movement.

rThe stem 35 extends in the axial line of the lock and along its.forward portion it is squared and it extends slidably through squaredopenings 36 in the dial plate and disk 16. At its forward end the stemhas a knob 39 threaded thereon and fixed by a set screw 40 `and by meansof this knob, the stem This dial plate is ixedl by screws 15concentrically to a disk 16 that may be rotated or shiftedlongitudinally. Vhen it is rotated.` the dial plate and disk 16 rotatetherewith but the disks 19, 23 and 25 are notrotated except throughcontact of the pin and studs fixed therein.

Fixed on the stein 'within the larger bore of the casing is a disk 42from which a pin 43 extends forwardly and which is the same radialdistance from the axial 'line of the stem as are the apertures 30, 31and 32 in the disks 19, 23 and 25. The rearwardly Vdirected portion ofthe stern is covered by an insulated sleeve 45 and at its extreme endhas a head 46 of electrically conductive metal held in place by a nut47.

Fitted lwithin the rearward end of the casing 1 is a plate of lfibre 48or other nonconn duetive material, provided with an opening 49 throughwhich the insulated end of the stem extends and fixed thereto by bindingscrews 50-51 are two spring metal contactsV `52 and 53 which areconnected respectively by thebinding posts to the circuit wires 10 and11 and are adapted to be engaged by the head 46 to close a. circuitthrough the connection onlyV when the stem has been pulled toits forwardlimit of travel. When the stem is at its inner position, as shown inFigure 3, no circuit is closed.

On the forward face of the dial are numbered markings and adjacent tothe dial, on the casing, 1s `a mark or arrow, as shown in Figure 2, bymeans of which the combination is determined.

Assuming that the various parts are so constructed and assembled, tolock the de" vice, the stem is pushedv inwardly to the position as shownin Figure 3 and is rotated several times so as to move the openings 30,31 and 32 in the disks out of alineinent so that the pin 43 or disk 42cannot enter and the stein cannot be drawn forward.

'llo unlock the device it is necessary to know-the combination whichwould consist Vof three separate readings and assuming,

registration with opening 33 in the fixed' disk 25. w

The stem is then rotated in the reverse direetion to bring the secondnumber of the combination into registration with the arrow and by thisrotative movement the stud 2l is brought again into contact with pin 2Oto rotate the disk 19 to a position at which the opening 30 will bealined with openings 31 and 32. Then by rotating the stem again in areverse direction to bring the third nunk ber of the. combination intoalinement with the arrow, the pin is alined with the three alinedapertures 30, 31 and 32 and the stem may be pulled forwardlyv to thusbring` the head 4G into contact with the contact arms to close thecircuit.

It will be noted by reference to Figure 5, that the disks 19` 23 areprovided with a plurality of apertures adjacent the central opening.These are provided in order that the studs on the disks may )e moved tovarions places for the purpose of making various combinations. Byreleasing the screws 15 in the dial 14, this may also be adjusted todifferent positions to effect a change of combination.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a lock of the character described, a cylindrical easing, a dialrotatably lit-ted within one end of the easing, a non-rotatable diskfitted within the casing in spaced relation tothe dial, a plurality ofrelatively rotatable Vdisks fitted within the casing between the dialand non-rotatable disk, studs fixed to the dial and rotative diskswhereby rotative movement of the dial may be coinmunicated to therotative disks; said rotative and fixed disks having eccentric openingsadapted to be brought into alinement, a switch stem disposed vco-axiallyof the casing to extend through the disks and dial and operable torotate the dial, a plate fixed to the stem and a stud fixed to the plate.n-or mally retaining the stem against longitudinal movement except whensaid disk ouen` ings have been alined to receive the stud.

2. ln a lock of the character described, a cylindrical casing providedinterior-ly lwith spaced apart annular seats, one of which is locatedadjacent the forward end of the casing, a dial plate rotatably fitted inthe forward end of the easing against said shoulder, a disk seatednon-rotatably on the other shoulder having an eccentric opening, aplurality of relatively rotatable disks disposed intermediate the saiddial plate and the nonrotative disk provided. with openingsr adapted tobe brought into Vregistration with each other and with the opening ofthe fixed plate, and a switch operating stem disposed to extend axiallyof the casing and through said dial and disks and operable to rotate thedial and disks to bring the said openings of the disks into and fromalinement, a plate fixed to the stem back of the non-rotative disk and astud on the said plate for retaining the stem against longitudinalmovement except when said disk openings have been alined to receive saidstud.

Signed at Seattle, King County, lililashington, this 25th day of March,1925. i

' GEORG-E B. POINDEXTER.

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